Staff attended the official opening day of our new Crown Heights Counseling Center, located at 1055 St. John’s Place in Brooklyn, New York. The therapy offices will operate in the midst of a diverse and growing community. Its culturally sensitive staff will provide mental health services to all members of the community, but especially to those in the Orthodox community. Needed services in this neighborhood include therapy for children and adolescents, families, adults, and the aging. Therapy will be offered for both individuals and families dealing with life traumas as well as the stresses of the economy. Medicaid, Medicare, and most managed-care insurances are accepted, and a sliding-scale fee is available for those without insurance.
Re-envisioning Home Again
At Home Again, our mission is to help people who work with veterans do it better. We use our knowledge, skills, and a strengths-based approach to give service providers an in-depth understanding of the military experience.
When Home Again began, we offered direct services to veterans acclimating to civilian life. But we began to realize that civilians lack a fundamental understanding of the military and that the media has pigeonholed the veteran experience into one of two categories—one being the decorated war hero, the other being the downtrodden veteran with mental health diagnoses, both of which are true for only a small portion of the veteran population. Thus, Home Again was reborn, offering an exclusive certificate program in military cultural competency to those who work with veterans or want to work with them.
For the month of March, JBFCS Friends spent a Sunday morning volunteering at Abraham Residence III. Abraham III is a residence for formerly homeless adults living with a mental illness. On Sunday, March 18, eight young professional volunteers went to Abe III, and along with staff and residents, spent the morning painting the lobby area and adjoining office space. Volunteers were also treated to a tour of the building by a long-time resident.
Each month, young professionals volunteer at a different JBFCS program, as part of the Friends initiative. Past projects have included arts with clients with developmental disabilities, sports with our kids in residence, holiday parties, and more. In April, the Friends will be going to Geller House in Staten Island. In May, they’ll tackle a planting & gardening project in Westchester. To learn more about the JBFCS Friends program or to join us, please contact Hannah Moore.
JBFCS Celebrates Black History Month
On February 27, Dr, Peter B. Vaughn, Dean of Fordham Universitys Graduate School of Social Work, came to speak to JBFCS staff on the importance and significance of Black History Month. JBFCS presented Dr. Vaughn with a certificate in recognition of his life-long commitment to social justice, leadership qualities, and tremendous contributions to growing a diverse human services workforce and providing access to culturally competent services for all.
Pictured above, left to right, Nilda Diaz, Sharron Madden, Dr. Peter Vaughn, and Carmen Collado.
On March 23, JBFCS' Connect to Care program held its Third Annual Job Fair at the JCC in Manhattan. More than 560 participants met with prospective employers, attended a networking session, and consulted with specialists in concrete and employment-related services.
Volunteers worked the registration desk, participated in an entrepreneurial workshop, and otherwise helped people navigate the fair. Congratulations to Connect to Care, UJA-Federation, participating synagogues, and everyone who turned out to lend a hand to those still looking for employment.
Goes to Heath Bloch of Pride of Judea. Heath is the recipient of the Eighth Annual Nita H. Henick Award, which will be presented at the 21st Annual Queens Social Work Recognition Day Reception on March 30, 2012.
The award is presented to a social worker who has provided leadership in advocacy and public policy issues. Heath was nominated for this prestigious award by KABHA, the Korean American Behavioral Health Association, in recognition of the pioneering work he has done in bringing mental health services and building bridges of understanding to the Korean-American community. Congratulations to Heath and keep up the good work.
Pack It Up
UJA-Federation of New York has made a wonderful donation of 40 overnight bags stuffed with games, pillows, sleeping bags, and more. Our kids at the Henry Ittleson Center and Boro Park Counseling Center are in for a treat when they get these deliveries. Thanks to UJA-Fed for thinking of us and helping us better serve those in our care.
Mind-Body Connection
Residents at Goldsmith and Linden Hill are experiencing something new and important through The Lineage Project, a group devoted to providing yoga and mindfulness to youth at risk. Adolescents at our residential treatment facilities have experienced severe trauma in their young lives and struggle with ways to connect back into the world. This partnership aims to give the kids something to hold on to during their stay with us and after they have been discharged. Bringing yoga and meditation into the formula as a part of treatment for these children brings a new way of giving them ways to manage stress, increase self-awareness, and cultivate compassion and commitment to nonviolent engagement with their communities.